Pickup device



Sept. 16, 1958 E. F. STEFFEN PICKUP DEVICE Filed June 17, 1957 INVENTOR E1 azeifcn United States Patent PICKUP vnrrvron g Y -Edward F. Steffen, Alvin, Tex.

Application June 17, 1957, Serial No. 666,075

4 Claims. (Cl. 294-117 This invention relates to agpickup -device ifor trash :and refuse, especially bottles, cans and cups.

It is a primary object of :the present invention to provideapickup device which can be conveniently supported and manipulated by a person standing in an "upright position :for picking up refuse articles ".and trash fiom'the .ground and which is especially :designed for picking up large objects such :as bottles and cans without requiring theworkerrtostoop over to:retrieve such objects.

During recent years the sides of highways have been cluttered with bottles, cans, paper cups and other trash "and refuse :thrown from motor vehicles. Collecting such items :has .proven very laborious for highway workers as itre'quires almost aconstant stooping over.

=Accordingly, it'is an aim of the present'invention'to provide a'device which is very light in weight so-'thatit can be-conveniently carried by a highwaywork'er'and which isso constructed .thatit will function effectively for picking 'upthe "various articles which litter the sides 'of highways including bottles, cans and 'cups, "as well as "other items of trash.

It is also a primary object "of the presentinvention to i provide a pickup device which is well adapted for use in cleaning trash from stadiums, .fair grounds, picnic grounds'and' the like.

'Various other objectsand advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section and partly broken away, showing the pickup device with one of the frame sides removed;

Figure 2 is an elevational view partly in longitudinal section, taken substantially alongaplane as indicated :by :theIline"2--2 of 'Figure '1; and

Figures'3, 4 and are cross sectional views of the pickup device, taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 55, respectively, of Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the pickup device in its entirety is designated generally 7 and includes two elongated bars 8 and 9 which are connected to one another and held in spaced apart relation by rivets 10 and spacing sleeves 11 which are disposed on said rivets and between the bars 8 and 9. Thus, said bars 8 and 9 constitute the frame of the pickup device 7. A handle 12 has an inner end portion 13 which is disposed within the frame 8, 9 and which is secured thereto by fastenings 14, adjacent the upper end of said frame. The handle 12 extends outwardly from one side of the frame between the bars 8 and 9 and is disposed substantially transversely of the frame. A pair of plates 15 and 16 are secured by fastenings 14 to the inner sides of the bars 8 and 9, adjacent the handle 12, and extend outwardly from the frame 8, 9 in the opposite direction to the handle 12.

A lever 17 comprises a handle 18 and a plate-like extension or strip 19 which is secured to and extends r r 2,852,302 Ratented Sep 1Q, 1

from anzinner end .of the handle 18 through the frame-between the bars-8 and 9 and which has a portion disposed between the mounting plates 15 and 16. Theextension '19, adjacent its outer end,-is swingably-connected-to.-and

.disposed between the plates 15 and t1'6-by a pivotfastening 20, which extends through the outer end thereof and through outer portions of said plates :15 and'1'6. A bar 21 is loosely disposed for longitudinal :sl1dmg;movement between '.the:frame bars 8 and '9 and has an upper end disposed beneath and spaced :from the inner end 13:.of the handle. Saidlbar 21, near to but :spaced ffrom its other lower end, is provided 'withsa longitudinally selongated slot 22 which loosely engages aTfastening 23 which extends throughtheframe-and is anchored -in'the bars *8 and 9, for limiting the sliding .movemento'f said bar tends upwardly therefrom'and outwardly of the frametoward the outer ends of the mounting plates 15 and 16. "The strip 19, between-and spaced from its pivots '20 and 24 is provided with a depending apertured'ear portion 26 to-which-oneend of 'a pull'string 27 is "connected. "The 'other end of the pull spring 27 is connected to the opp'osite, upper end'of the link 25. The spring '27 urges the lever '17 toswing downwardly away from 'theh'andle '12 and thus urges the bar 21 to slide downwardly in'the frame 8,9, awayfifrom'the handle 12.

The'pickupv device 17Lalso includes a pair of tongs designated generally 28 comprising two corresponding 'jaws .29 and 3'0 and arms or shanks '31.and 32 which project from thejaws 29 and 30, respectively. "Each .jaw -29and 38 includes an elongated intermediate portion I33.in..the 'form of a solid baror strip which extends Jfromend.-.toend of the jaw and which is provided with .a plurality of corresponding teeth '34 which extend downwardlyfrom the lower edge .ofthe .jaw portion 33. The teeth34 taper toward .their lower ends and .are .longitudinally spaced relative to 'one another with respect to the jaw portion 33. The jaw ,portion 33.is also :provided with upwardly .extendingteeth .35 adjacent the ends thereof and-which :are likewise longitudinally spaced relative to one anotherrand which also taper toward the outer 'ends thereof. Each jaw .portion3-3Jhas an integral upwardly extending tapered connector portion 36 which extends :upwardly therefrom between the teeth 35, located adjacent teach errd thereof, =and which-connectorportion.36:isrtwistedias-Lseen at 37 through an arc of approximately at its restricted upper end and merges with the arm or shank 31 or 32 of said jaw. The jaws 29 and 30 are transversely bowed from end-to-end thereof between the upper and lower edges thereof, as defined by the terminals of the teeth 35 and 34, and are disposed with the concave sides of said jaws facing inwardly or toward one another when the arms or shanks 31 or 32 are crossedrelative to one another intermediate of their ends, as seen in Figure 1. Said crossed portions of the arms or shanks 31 and 32 are disposed between the lower ends of the frame bars 8 and 9 and are pivotally connected to one another and to the frame by a pivot fastening 38 which extends loosely through the shanks 31 and 32 and which is secured to the bars 8 and 9.

from the handle 12 to the jaws 29 and 30, so that if the device is held as just described by an adult standing in an upright position, the lower ends of the teeth 34 can contact the ground. The jaws 29 and while in an open position, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, can be positioned over an article to be picked up such as loose trash, bottles, cans, paper cups or the like. The operator thenexerts a squeezing pressure on the handles 12 and 18 for swinging the lever 17 upwardly and toward the .stationary handle 12. This will cause an upward movetment of the slide bar 21 and the linksr39 and 40. Upward movement of the links 39 and 40 will cause an up-- ward and inward pull to be exerted on the upper ends of the tong shanks 31 and 32 for causing said shanks to swing about the pivot 38 so that the lower ends of the shanks andthe gripping jaws 29 and 30, which depend therefrom, will be swung inwardly, toward one another.

Any of the refuse items aforementioned, not shown, can

thus be gripped between the concave inner sides of the ,jaws 29 and 30 and the lower rake teeth 34 thereof are capable of closing to a sufficient extent, with the terminals of said teeth of the two jaws 29 and 30 substantially in contact with one another, so that any such refuse items can be gripped and picked up by the device 7. Any item thus held in the jaws 29 and 30 can be released to drop into any suitable container, not shown, by merely releasing the gripping pressure on the handle 18 to permit the spring 27 to swing the lever 17 downwardly and away from the handle 12, and so that said lever will exert a downward thrust on the bar 21 and links 39 and 40 for swinging the tong shanks 31 and 32 in the opposite directions to cause the jaws 29 and 30 to swing apart back to open positions as seen in Figures 1 and 5. The tapered lower teeth 34 of the jaws will act as rake teeth for raking the ground as the jaws are swung toward closed positions for grasping a refuse article to be picked up. The upper teeth 35 function as guard teeth to prevent any item which has been picked up from escaping from the upper edges of the jaws. The outer end of the lever handle 18 is preferably provided with a downwardly extending tapered projection forming a finger stop 43 -which is adapted to be engaged by the litle finger of the hand used to operate the pickup device 7, to prevent the fingers slipping out of engagement with said handle 18.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims:

I claim as my invention:

1. A pickup device comprising an elongated frame havof the bar, a lever having an intermediate portion loosely disposed in the frame and pivotally connected to the opposite end of the bar, means projecting laterally from the frame near its upper end in a direction away from said handle and to which one end of said lever is pivotally connected, and the other free end of the lever forming a handle portion disposed beneath and adjacent said stationary handle and swingably movable toward the stationary handle by a gripping action for exerting a pull on the bar and links for swinging the tong shanks in directions for closing the jaws;

2. A pickup device as in claim 1, means slidably connecting the bar to the frame comprising a fastening extending through and anchored to said frame and an elongated slot formed in and disposed longitudinally of said bar for loosely engaging said fastening, spring means connecting the fastening and lever for urging the lever to swing downwardly for moving said tong jaws to an open position.

3. A pickup device as in claim 1, each of said tong jaws being elongated in a direction crosswise of the shank thereof and including a solid intermediate portion extending from end-to-end of the jaw, rake teeth extending downwardly from said intermediate portion in longitudinally spaced relation to one another, and guard teeth extending upwardly from said intermediate portion, said rake teeth and guard teeth being tapered toward the terminals thereof, and the shank having a twisted and flared end merging integrally with the intermediate portion of the jaw between certain of said guard teeth.

4. A pickup device as in claim 3, said jaws being trans versely bowed from end-to-end thereof between the terminals of the rake teeth and guard teeth to provide concave inner sides disposed in opposed relation to one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,454 Clear Mar. 22, 1904 786,663 McCoy Apr. 4, 1905 923,299 Rogers June 1, 1909 1,205,414 Titus Nov. 21, 1916 1,220,899 Sorensen Mar. 27, 1917 1,224,571 Schaier May 1, 1917 

